Ingot-manipulator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet .1.'

J A. BURNS. INGOT MANIPULATOR.

No; 464,708. Patented Dec. 8, .1891.

WITNESSES I IN-VENTOF UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BURNS, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

lNGOT-MANIPULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,708, dated December8, 189] Application filed April 24, 1891. Serial No.390,254. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES A. BURNS, of Homestead, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ingot-Manipulators, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 shows alongitudinal section of my improved manipulator on the line I I of Fig.2, and Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line II II of Fig. 1.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each.

In the drawings, 2 represents the frame of the feed-table of arolling-mill, which table, as usual, is provided with a series offeedrollers 3.

The ingot-manipulator consists of a series of upright push-baled, theupper ends of which are arranged'between the rollers of the feed-table,while their lower ends are bolted by means of flanges 5 to a travelingtruck 6. This truck is supported upon wheels 7,which move upon rails 9,and the truck is reciprocated by means of the connecting-rod 34, ofwhich one end loosely encircles the shaft of the wheels 7, while theother is pivoted to'the cross-head 35. v To this cross-head are rigidlyconnected the plungers 36 of a pair of singleacting hydraulic cylinders37, by means of which the table is actuated in either direction. Thewheels 7 are trunnioned in downwardlyprojecting flanges 10,which alsoserve to stiffen the truck and prevent any sagging of the same betweenthe supporting-wheels. The rails 9 are supported by and bolted to avertically-reciprocating platform 11,built up of theI-beams 12 and thecasting 13, bolted between them. These I-beams extend longitudinallybeyond the ends of the platform and are provided thereat withplates17,which move in the guideways 18, bolted to the frame-work, asshown in Fig. 2, and serve to guide the platform in its rising andfalling movements.

Bolted at the four corners of the platform 11 are the castings 14,having trunnioned in their downwardly-projecting flanges 15 the"connecting-rods 16. These rods 16 are adj ustable in length by thescrew-threaded connections 20, and at their lower ends are pivotedjusted thereon by interchanging the supporting-bolts in the holes 26 ofsuch arm.

The connecting-rods 24, of which there are twoin number, pass on eachside of a hyd raulic cylinder 27 and are pivoted to a cross-head 28,actuated by such cylinder and moving on a guideway 29. The shafts 21 aresuitably supported in bearings 30, bolted to a bed-plate 31, which inturn rests upon and is bolted to the foundation The bed-plate 31 isprovided with a longitudinal opening 33 to allow for the passage of thelower portion of one of the counter-weights 23.

The operation is as follows: The bars 4 being in their lowermostposition, as shown in the drawings, and an ingot lying upon thefeed-rollers at one side of said bars, motive fluid is admitted to thecylinder 27, actuat ng the rods 16 and the platform 11, and ra sing thepush-bars 4 upon the truck 6 to the position shown by dotted lines inthe figures. Motive fluid being then admitted to one of the cylinders 37moves the push-bars laterally and shoves the ingot to the properplace,when it is again carried forward by the feed-rollers. If it isdesired to turn the ingot as well as move it, the push-bars 4 areadjusted by the cylinders 37 so as to engage one edge of the ingot asthey rise, and thus turn it to its next side. In former devices of asimilar nature whenever a heavy ingot lay at one side of the feed table,in order to turn the same over, the truck was moved to the ends of therails 9, and when the pushbars were lifted, it produced a canting of theplatform bearing the rails 8, together with its supports, which cantingcaused the parts to bind upon each other. A like effect was producedwhenever the truck was moved from one end of the rails to the oppositeend. This canting effect other parts, and canting of the platform isabsolutely prevented.

The advantages of the mechanism are obvious, sincethe entire mechanismmoves easily and smoothly, there being no binding of the parts, and bymeans of the hydraulic cylinder the motion of the parts is under thecomplete control of the operator.

The essential feature of my invention lies in supporting the part whichcarries the pushbars at several points to equalize the lifting motionand to prevent binding. The other parts of the apparatus I do not claim,and I therefore do not wish to limit myself to the exact form ofplatform, truck, and connections shown; but

IVhat I claim is 1. In an ingot-manipulator, the combination of avertically-movable platform, guideways between which the platform moves,push-bars movably mounted thereon, means for moving the push-barslaterally independently of the platform, rods pivoted to the platform,and a motor arranged to vertically reciprocate said rods and platform,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In an ingot-manipulator, the combination of a vertically-movableplatform, guideways between which the platform moves, links pivoted tothe platform at different points and connected to cranks, and bell-cranklevers on the crank-shafts, movable push-bars mounted upon the platform,means for rotating the crank-shafts, and means for moving the pushbarslaterallyindependently of the platform, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

In an ingot-manipulator, the combination of a vertieally-movableplatform having independently-movable push-bars mounted thereon,guideways between which the platform moves, supports pivoted to the fourcorners of the platform, and motors arranged to actuate the push-barsand supports, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In an ingot-manipulator, the combination of a vertically-movableplatform, guideways between which the platform moves, links pivoted tothe platform at different points and connected to cranks, bell-cranklevers on the crank-shafts, counter-weights connected to saidcrank-shafts, movable push-bars mounted upon the platform, means forrotating the crank-shafts, and means for moving the pushbars laterallyindependently of the platform, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of April,A. D. 1891.

JAMES A. BURNS. Witnesses:

\V. O. MILLER, J os. R. AL'IMAN.

